1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chute-hose coupler unit for use in association with an automatic assembling machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a chute-hose coupler unit capable of ready connection and disconnection without letting out the component parts contained in the chute-hoses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally known in the art that small components, such as piercing nuts, are automatically anchored in metal panels to assemble motor cars and electric appliances from part to part. For example, the piercing nut includes a pilot portion at the center of a top surface thereof, the pilot portion being designed to function as a piercing punch when applied against a metal panel so as to punch its own installation aperture in the metal panel. The pilot portion is secured in the self-pierced installation aperture by a swaging operation. For this purpose, the pilot portion is applied to the metal panel placed on a swaging die. Compression force is then applied to the piercing nut to punch the installation aperture, thereby enabling the same to anchor to the metal panel.
Under such an automatic assembling system it is essential to supply piercing nuts in succession to the assembling machine, and in order to ensure a continuous supply of the same it is common to employ a chute-hose, mostly flexible, extending from a supply magazine to the assembling machine. In such cases the chute-hoses are connected to extend the length with the use of one or more couplers. The trouble is, however, that when the hoses are connected or disconnected, the nuts therein are likely to drop out of the open ends thereof. This leads to the waste of labor and material, and in fact decreases the working efficiency.
The present invention aims at solving the problems mentioned above, and has for its object to provide an improved coupler unit capable of ready connection and disconnection without letting out the component parts contained therein.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.